New 2016 Skoda Rapid vs Maruti Ciaz [COMPARISON!]

The Skoda Rapid hasn’t been doing too well on the sales charts. However, the new facelift infuses some freshness with the ageing car. While this facelift sure makes the car more appealing, it would be interesting to see if it would help the Rapid outsell hot-sellers like the Honda City and the Maruti Ciaz. It maybe noted that the Ciaz has been the highest selling car in the C2 segment. Thanks mainly to an attractive price tag, spacious and well appointed cabin and frugal engines, the Ciaz has a lot going for it. So will the Rapid facelift be able to make a dent on this Maruti’s sales performance? Read all about it in our New 2016 Skoda Rapid vs Maruti Ciaz post here.

New 2016 Skoda Rapid vs Maruti Ciaz – Price in India

Currently, the prices of Ciaz start at Rs 7.53 Lakh. In comparison, prices of the Rapid start at Rs 8.35 Lakh. The Rapid has got a price hike with the launch of the new facelift. Hence, the Ciaz continues to enjoy a slight price advantage over the Rapid.

Petrol

New 2016 Skoda Rapid

Maruti Ciaz

Active

Rs. 8.35 lakh

VXi

Rs. 7.53 lakh

Ambition Manual

Rs. 9.27 lakh

VXi Plus

Rs. 8.12 lakh

Ambition Automatic

Rs. 10.39 lakh

ZXi

Rs. 8.78 lakh

Style Manual

Rs. 10.44 lakh

AT VXi Plus

Rs. 9.29 lakh

Style Automatic

Rs. 11.46 lakh

ZXi Plus

Rs. 9.34 lakh

RS ZXi Plus

Rs. 9.48 lakh

AT ZXi

Rs. 9.94 lakh

AT ZXi Plus

Rs. 10.50 lakh

Diesel

New 2016 Skoda Rapid

Maruti Ciaz

Active

Rs. 9.57 lakh

VDI SHVS

Rs. 7.73 Lakh

Ambition Manual

Rs. 10.49 lakh

VDI PLUS SHVS

Rs. 8.28 Lakh

Ambition Automatic

Rs. 11.71 lakh

ZDI SHVS

Rs. 8.94 Lakh

Style Manual

Rs. 11.67 lakhs

ZDI PLUS SHVS

Rs. 9.55 Lakh

Style Automatic

Rs. 12.79 lakhs

RS ZDI PLUS SHVS

Rs. 9.64 Lakh

Overall, the Skoda Rapid continues to command a premium over the Ciaz. There is a difference of 2 lakhs between the top end diesel Rapid and top end Diesel Ciaz!

New 2016 Skoda Rapid vs Maruti Ciaz- Specifications Comparison

The new 2016 Skoda Rapid shares its petrol and diesel engines with the earlier model. Both these engines offer a good mix of performance and fuel mileage. The Diesel engine has been given a remap for more power and efficiency. In comparison, the Ciaz offers a 1.4-litre Petrol and a 1.3 Diesel engine. These engines offer sufficient power and torque. Also, thanks to the light weight of Ciaz, the car is pretty quick off the block. Fuel mileage is where the Ciaz really scores. The Diesel model is India’s most fuel efficient sedan!

Diesel

2016 Skoda Rapid

Maruti Ciaz

Length x Width x Height

4413 x 1699 x 1466 mm

4490 x 1730 x 1485 mm

Ground Clearance

163 mm

170 mm

Kerb Weight

1182-1228 KGs

1115 kg

Wheel Type and Size

15-inch alloys

16-inch alloys

Boot Space

460 L

510 L

Engine Type/ Displacement

1.5 L Diesel

1.3 L Diesel

Power

108 bhp

89 bhp

Torque

250 Nm

200 Nm

Transmission (Gearbox)

5-speed manual/7-speed Automatic

5-speed Manual

Mileage

21.13 KMPL (MT)/21.72 KMPL (AT)

28 KMPL

Petrol

2016 Skoda Rapid

Maruti Ciaz

Length x Width x Height

4413 x 1699 x 1466 mm

4490 x 1730 x 1485 mm

Ground Clearance

163 mm

170 mm

Kerb Weight

1140-1174 kg

1010 kg

Wheel Type and Size

15-inch alloys

16-inch alloys

Boot Space

460 L

510 L

Engine Type/ Displacement

1.6 L Petrol

1.4 L Petrol

Power

104 bhp

91 BHP

Torque

153 Nm

130 Nm

Transmission (Gearbox)

5-speed manual/6-speed Automatic

5-speed Manual/4-Speed Automatic

Mileage

15.41 KMPL (MT)/14.84 KMPL (AT)

20.73 KMPL (MT)/19.12 KMPL (AT)

As can be seen, the Rapid is more powerful than the Ciaz. Also, the Rapid offers better automatic transmissions. The Ciaz, however, scores higher almost everywhere else. It is not only dimensionally bigger, but is also more frugal. Overall, the Ciaz is the clear winner here.

New 2016 Skoda Rapid vs Maruti Ciaz – Mileage Comparison

Petrol

Diesel

New Skoda Rapid

15.41 KMPL (MT)/14.84 KMPL (AT)

21.13 KMPL (MT)/21.72 KMPL (AT)

Maruti Ciaz

20.73 KMPL

28.09 KMPL

New 2016 Skoda Rapid vs Maruti Ciaz – Dimensions

Skoda Rapid

Maruti Ciaz

Length

4413 mm

4490 mm

Width

1699 mm

1730 mm

Height

1466 mm

1485 mm

Wheelbase

2552 mm

2650 mm

Fuel Tank

55 litres

43 litres

Boot Space

460 litres

510 litres

New 2016 Skoda Rapid vs Maruti Ciaz – Exterior Design

Much like the pre-facelift Rapid, the facelift has taken design cues from the Fabia. It now gets a sharper front-end. The front’s styling is now in line with Skoda’s latest design language. It boasts of sleeker headlamps that have projector units and LED DRLs. The hood and the grille are also new. Apart from this, the car also gets a slightly revised rear. In comparison, the Ciaz looks a lot more understated. While Maruti has sprinkled chrome at a few places, the Ciaz looks much simpler than the Rapid. That said, the Ciaz does look premium enough.

New 2016 Skoda Rapid vs Maruti Ciaz – Interior Design

While the Rapid gets Polo-like interior, the Ciaz gets a spacious cabin that is decidedly more premium than other Marutis. The Rapid offers a brown-beige color theme. In comparison, the Ciaz offers a black-beige theme. The RS trims, however, get sportier all-black theme. Both the cars offer a long list of features.

New 2016 Skoda Rapid vs Maruti Ciaz – Features

The Skoda Rapid facelift gets additional equipment over the pre-facelift model. Even the Ciaz is pretty feature-laden. Here’s a quick comparison of the two-

New 2016 Skoda Rapid

Maruti Ciaz

Air Conditioner Type

Automatic Climate Control

Automatic Climate Control

Power Windows

Yes (4)

Yes (4)

Central Locking

Yes

Yes

Steering Audio Controls

Yes

Yes

Audio System

Touchscreen

Touchscreen

Airbags

2

2

ABS

Yes

Yes

New 2016 Skoda Rapid vs Maruti Ciaz – Verdict

We feel that both the Ciaz and the Rapid are as different as two C2 segment sedans can get. While one makes for a good family sedan and is easy on the pocket, the other is sporty and is expensive to both buy and run. It’s a matter of personal taste, seriously. However, here’s what our comparison results look like-

Design – While the Rapid gets a modern ‘nose’, the Ciaz is all about understated elegance. Also, Rapid looks a lot like the Vento, which robs off the novelty value to some extent.

Features – Both cars are evenly matched in this aspect.

Specifications – The Rapid is definitely more performance-oriented. It gets more powerful engines and DSG ‘box. The Ciaz, however, offer higher fuel economy. It is also dimensionally bigger. For a family car, the Ciaz makes more sense. It’s not as exciting to drive though.

Price -Rapid is priced higher than the Ciaz. Hence, the Ciaz looks like the more practical buy here.

So what are your thoughts about our New 2016 Skoda Rapid vs Maruti Ciaz comparison? Do let us know via the comments section below and stay tuned to Car Blog India for more updates on the New 2016 Skoda Rapid vs Maruti Ciaz comparison once the price and other details have been made public.

[…] So the new 2016 Skoda Rapid is here and has already created quite some buzz. The Rapid now gets a really modern front facade and guess what, it has got more frugal too! The Rapid is definitely more appealing now. But is it good enough to threaten the likes of the Honda City? We find out in our New 2016 Skoda Rapid vs Honda City comparison here. Also See- New 2016 Skoda Rapid vs Maruti Ciaz comparison […]